Harrison Co. Tx - Jesse Grimes Letters ----¤¤¤---- Letter # 78 State of Tennessee, Gibson County. October the 30th day 1851 Dear Unkle. I have taken my pen in hand for the first time to address you with a few lines to inform you that I am in common health at present. Thanks be to God for his mercies. Hoping those few lines may reach you & all the connexion in good health. I have bin in Tennessee, Gibson County near two years and have traveled over this country a good deal for the last 6 or 8 months. I have bin pedling on clocks for a gentleman who lives in trenton, Gibson County by the name of Laird. He has bin giving me $25 dollars per month. He is a very fine man. I wish you to write me whether I could make something by selling clocks in your part of the world as I have had a severe bad rising on my hand a I fear that it is damaged for life so that I shall never be able to use it for hard labour. I think I could come & bring an assortment of good clocks to your country and sell them at about twelve or fifteen dollars each Page 2 now I wish you to let me know in your answer if the people is thick settled in your county or not or whether you think I could sell a good many clocks in that part of the country or not. Also whether the people are generally good for there contracts so that any person in a trading line could be safe in selling on a credit or not. Please to give me a full statement about the matter and also tell me what is the prices currant in your country for produce, grocerys etc. Please to give me a full statement about your country & your country affairs as I have a notion of comeing to see you at a time not far distant if all things should suit agreeable to my expectation. I had a letter from brother James G. Branch a short time sine. They were in tolerable health and crops was tolerable good. We have had the worst drouth here that I ever saw. Crops are sorry here on that account. We hope there is a sufficient quanty of provisions made for the support of the country though corn & cotton crops is very sorry here. Page 3 I want you to let me know how all my cousins are & what is their ocupations and about the water. Whether it is lime water or free stone and about apples & peaches & wheat. Whether you can rais such things their or not and how the weevels serve your corn as we have understood they are very bad there some times. And let us know how land sells and what quality of land and all about prices of land and quality of water, both for stock and family consumption. I am staying with Stephen 0 Daniel., one of my brother in laws,the one that maried my youngest sister, Clarky, during the time that I am not driving. He lives in Gibson County, fifteen miles north of Trenton. Whin you write to us, direct your letter to Vance Hill, Gibson County, Tennessee. Sister Clary An is in about the same condition that whe was when brother James left here. There is a great deal of our connexion here. They are generaly in tolerable health now though we have had a good Eal of sickness here this year. Page 4 Sister Clary Ans oldest daughter is in a low state of health. Her name is Anna, a very fine promising young woman when in good health. I have seen moore sickness this year than I ever saw. Let me know what water corse is the nearest to you an all about your navigation and about Lewis Wright and family and his brother & family and as I am yet single, you may expect I would like to hear from the young ladys. (Signed) Arche Bryant Branch. We, Stephen O'Daniel & Clarky, his wife, have five prosperas children, 2 sons & three daughters and would like to know how meny you and Aunt Rosana has and their names. The names of ours are as follows: Write Francis Marion soon Stephen 0'Daniel Hepsy Ann Clarky O'Daniel Martha Jane West Branch Amanda Jane How meny of Aunt Marthy's is yet living? __________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Christine Grimes Thacker ___________________________________________________________________